The Fault in Our Stars Page #6

GUS:

I used to play.

HAZEL:

Must have been pretty good.

GUS:

These are mine. And these. The rest

of it's just cancer perks.

Gus grabs a DVD from his stack of DVDs. Hazel sits down on

the bed, her breathing noticeably heavier.

HAZEL:

Need to sit.

Gus sits down next to her on the bed.

HAZEL:

Don't get any ideas.

(catching her breath)

All that standing... and stairs...

and then more standing... lotta

standing for me.

GUS:

I understand.

21.

HAZEL:

I'll be fine in a minute. Unless I

faint. I'm a bit of a Victorian

lady, fainting-wise.

Gus smiles. He waits for her breathing to slow down. In time:

GUS:

You ok?

Hazel nods, smiles.

GUS:

So what's your story?

HAZEL:

I already told you my story. I was

DIAGNOSED --

GUS:

Not your cancer story. Your story.

Interests, hobbies, passions, weird

fetishes...

HAZEL:

Um...

GUS:

Don't tell me you're one of those

people who becomes their disease.

HAZEL:

No. I'm just... I don't know... un-

extraordinary.

GUS:

I reject that out of hand.

(beat, Hazel shrugs)

Think of something you love. First

thing that comes to mind.

HAZEL:

"An Imperial Affliction."

GUS:

Ok. What's that?

HAZEL:

It's a novel. My favorite novel.

GUS:

Does it have zombies?

HAZEL:

(LAUGHING)

What? No.

GUS:

Stormtroopers.

22.

HAZEL:

Seriously?

(HE SHRUGS)

It's not that kind of book.

GUS:

Sounds horrible.

HAZEL:

It's not, it's... kind of my bible

actually.

GUS:

Interesting. What's it about?

HAZEL:

Cancer.

(off his look)

But not in that way, trust me. The

guy who wrote it, Peter Van Houten,

he's... well, the only person I've

ever come across who seems to a)

understand what it's like to be

dying and b) not have died.

GUS:

(INTRIGUED)

In that case... I am going to read

this horrible book with the boring

title that does not contain zombies

or stormtroopers. And in

exchange...

Gus pulls a book from his bookshelf.

GUS:

... all I ask is that you read this

brilliant and haunting novelization

of my favorite video game.

Hazel looks at the slim, ridiculous novella. She laughs.

She's adorable when she laughs. She takes the book from him

and as she does, their hands get tangled together for a

brief, charged moment.

GUS:

Your hands are cold.

HAZEL:

Not so much cold as under-

oxygenated.

GUS:

Ooh Hazel Grace...

(BEAT)

I love it when you talk medical to

me.

Hazel blushes. And off her completely smitten smile, CUT TO:

23.

INT HAZEL'S BEDROOM - ANOTHER NIGHT

Hazel sits in bed reading Gus's novella. Frannie stands in

the doorway, notices the new book.

FRANNIE:

That's different.

Hazel shrugs. Frannie looks intrigued.

FRANNIE:

Did he give it to you?

HAZEL:

By "it" do you mean herpes?

Frannie rolls her eyes. Hazel's phone buzzes. She excitedly

checks it - only to be disappointed. Frannie notices.

FRANNIE:

I'm sure he'll call, don't worry.

HAZEL:

I'm not worried. Please. It's not

like I'm waiting for him to call or

anything. I just... we hung out. No

big deal.

Frannie says nothing to that. Her silence says it all. Hazel

rolls her eyes. CUT TO:

QUICK SERIES OF SCENES:

Hazel continues "not to wait" for Gus's call. We see her:

- Brushing her teeth. And checking her phone.

- Watching TV. And checking her phone.

- Eating breakfast. And checking her phone.

- Looking out the window on a rainy day. Trying not to check

her phone. Willing herself to not check the goddamn phone.

And checking the phone.

Where is he?! Did he forget about her?

INT HAZEL'S DINING ROOM - NIGHT

Hazel at the dinner table with her parents. She's a little

sullen, barely touching her food.

Hazel's phone buzzes. She tries not to seem too eager to

check it, what with her parents watching and all. She subtly

looks down at her lap. And sure enough: a text from Gus! Her

eyes bug out. We see:

24.

"Tell me my copy is missing the last ten pages or something."

Hazel smiles. Goes back to eating. Frannie and Michael share

a quick glance. A second later, there's a follow-up text.

"Tell me I have NOT reached the end of this book!"

Hazel smiles again.

And then a third text:

"A BOOK CAN"T END IN THE MIDDLE OF A SENTENCE?! WHAT IN GOD'S

NAME IS THIS MADNESS! AAAAHHHH!"

Hazel now laughs out loud. Michael clears his throat. Hazel

looks up.

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